Lightning tap resources in 4-2 win over Flyers

TAMPA, Fla. — If the Lightning are to maintain implausible playoff hopes through the final stretch of the season, They're going to need more nights like Monday night.

A 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at Tampa Bay Times Forum was good purely in that it gave the Lightning three wins in four games, consecutive victories for the first time in more than a month and moved them ahead of the Flyers (13-16-1) to 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.

But the method was again key as Tampa Bay (13-15-1) responded to a heightened physical pressure and reaped scoring from more uncommon sources, which is crucial as the Lightning's top scorers continue to be held in check after center and team captain Vincent Lecavalier went on injured reserve Thursday.

Teddy Purcell, who endured a 13-game scoreless drought before now scoring in consecutive games, gave Tampa Bay the lead for good with 10:28 left when he leaped to redirect in a Keith Aulie shot from just inside the blue line. The goal was Purcell's sixth of the season.

"It's good for your confidence. Any time you don't score and you're getting chances and don't get rewarded, it's frustrating," said Purcell, who called his tip "maybe the luckiest play of the game." "You want to help out the team any way you can."

Rookie Ondrej Palat and Tom Pyatt also scored for the Lightning. Steven Stamkos -- the league's leading goal scorer -- added his 21st of the season and 200th of his career with an empty-netter with three seconds left.

Anders Lindback had 28 saves for the Lightning in what coach Guy Boucher deemed his third straight superlative performance.

Philadelphia missed two prime scoring chances while exerting pressure early in the third period, with Lightning defenseman Matt Carle getting just enough stick on a Claude Giroux shot to protect a gaping net and Matt Read hitting the crossbar just minutes later.

"We need to win hockey games and guys worked hard, but going into the third period and needing to pull it out in the third and not getting it done is disappointing," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "But it's not from a lack of effort."

Philadelphia tied the score at 2 with 4:39 left in the second period after Lightning rookie Cory Conacher attempted unsuccessfully to clear his zone with a backhanded whack and Claude Giroux skated for an unimpeded shot from close range.

Boucher said he was most pleased with his team's third-period response considering "all the bad things that have been happening for awhile, when it didn't turn our way."

"I liked our pushback," he said. "I liked our physical pushback."

Tampa Bay had taken a 1-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game on Palat's goal. Dana Tyrell and Sami Salo were awarded assists.

Maxime Talbot tied the score at 1-1 with less than seven minutes left in the period when he brought the puck out of the Flyers' defensive zone and simply kept coming as the Lightning cut off his passing lanes. When he went uncovered in the offensive end, Talbot veered in front of the net and backhanded in his fourth goal of the season. Andrej Meszaros earned his first assist of the season.

The Lightning's crisp forechecking helped give them the lead back quickly on Dana Tyrell's sixth goal of the season. Tyrell, who was recalled Saturday from Syracuse of the American Hockley League, skated onto a rocket pass from the corner by rookie Tyler Johnson to redirect in the puck. Tampa Bay led 2-1 entering the second period.

"We gave it our all tonight," said Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who had 23 saves. "It's not going our way. It's sad, but what else can you say. There is nothing else you can do."

NOTES: Stamkos and Martin St. Louis, the Lightning's top scorers, have two points in three games since Lecavalier went on injured reserve. … Lightning left winger Ryan Malone did not return after sustaining what Boucher called an "upper-body injury" from a hit by Zac Rinaldo with 6:32 left in the game. … Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman also sustained an upper-body injury. … Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen played in his 1,000th NHL game. He is the sixth Finn to reach the mark … Palat has scored goals in consecutive games after getting his first in the NHL on Saturday against Carolina. Philadelphia is scoreless on its last eight power plays after going 0 of 4 on Monday. … Tampa Bay began the season 6-1 and is 7-14-1 since. … The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the NHL held no supplementary discipline hearing for defenseman Brayden Schenn after his hit Friday on New Jersey's Peter Harrold.